iRobot today announced the launch of its new iRobot Looj 330 gutter cleaning robot as well as its Roomba 600 series of vacuum cleaning robots. We got a chance to see them in action.

Looj 330
A big step up from the previous 100 series in terms of features and price, the $299.99 Looj 330 uses a high-velocity, four-stage auger to blast away leaves, dirt, and clogs while brushing your gutters clean. Better yet, it does so automatically. Once you've placed it in the gutter, the Looj 330 travels down on its own, sensing and adapting to debris to provide the most effective cleaning.

The Looj's four-stage auger spins at 500 RPM, and multiple speeds allow you to spend more time clearing away particularly tough clogs. A scraper boosts cleaning performance and clears a path for the robot, while a new, lower profile design allows it to fit into more gutters. It has a 7.2V Lithium-ion battery, which should be able to better withstand the test of time than the NiCd battery used in previous models. iRobot claims the Looj can clean up to 200 linear feet per charge.

The Looj 330's detachable handles double as a wireless remote control, and allows for up to 50 feet of communication range. It can clean up to a 30-foot section of gutter in five minutes on average. It's waterproof in up to 8 inches of water, easily cleanable with a hose, and can travel under gutter straps and over downspout holes. An accessory kit is available for $99.99, which includes a carrying case and additional accessories.

We got to see the Looj in action on a test gutter filled with fake leaves, cereal, and rice. And while all of this debris was completely dry—which probably won't be the case on real, outdoor gutters—it was clear that the Look 330 is packing plenty of power. It made quick work of the few feet of gutter I saw, effectively clearing it out in well under a minute.

The Roomba 650 then stepped in to clean up the mess made by the Looj.

Roomba 600 SeriesThe new entry-level Roomba 600 series robots are a replacement for the previous 500 series. They're a complement to the top-of-the-line 700 Series robots, and are designed to more effectively handle hair, pet fur, lint, carpet fuzz, and other fibers than 'bots in the 500 series.

The new Roombas use a patented three-stage cleaning system to vacuum carpets, tile, laminate, and hardwood floors. iRobot's AeroVac Technology optimizes airflow so the bin fills evenly and needs to be emptied less often. The improved brush design and optimized airflow remove more hair from the robot’s brushes, providing more thorough cleaning and reduced maintenance.

The 600 series also use iAdapt and Dirt Detect technologies developed by iRobot, which allow the Roomba to detect messier areas and spend more time cleaning them. You can buy Virtual Wall barriers to create an invisible barrier that Roomba won’t cross, keeping the robot in the rooms you want to clean and out of the ones you don’t. And on model 650 and higher, onboard scheduling allows you to preset the Roomba up to seven times per week to clean when it’s most convenient for you.

The Roomba 650 made quick work of the dry cereal and rice that landed on the carpeted floor after the Looj 330 had finished cleaning the test gutter. A quick spot-cleaning session on the Roomba was able to clean the entire mess up in about a minute.

The iRobot Looj 330 gutter cleaning robot is available now from www.irobot.com for $299. The iRobot Roomba 600 series starts at $329.99 and is available now from iRobot and select retailers. We recently reviewed iRobot's top-of-the-line Roomba 790, and while it's the best vacuum bot out there, it's also super expensive, at $699.99. The 600 series maintains many the same features, at a much more palatable price.

Check out the slideshow above to see the Looj 330 and Roomba 650 in action, and check back with PCMag for a closer look at iRobot's latest 'bots soon.

Alex Colon is the managing editor of PCMag's consumer electronics team. He holds a Bachelor's Degree in English Writing and Literature from Pace University and got his start editing books before deciding technology would probably be a lot more fun.
Though he does the majority of his reading and writing on various digital displays, Alex still loves to sit down and read a good, old-fashioned, paper and ink book in his free time. (Not that there's anything wrong with ebook readers.)
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